Syracuse police identify victim in city's latest homicide

Syracuse, NY -- Police identified the victim of a homcide this morning in the 200 block of West Kennedy Street as Jerry T. Mack, 65.

The killing was witnessed by Mack's 7-year-old son, who was able to get out of the house, make his way with the help of a good Samaritan to his grandmother's home on Crioyton Terrace and tell her what happened, Syracuse police Sgt. Tom Connellan said.

The child's grandmother called 911 at 1:45 a.m. to send the police to Mack's home at 221 W. Kennedy St., where Mack's body was found, Connellan said.
The grandmother told 911 said there was a shooting there, he saidd.

According to the boy, three men entered the house and attacked Mack, Connellan said.

Connellan said the department is not going to release any details
About the child except to say "he got out of there traumatized, but unharmed.'

police are asing the person who picked up the boy between Kennedy Street and Croyton Terrace to come forward and talk to police.

"We need the public's help on this," Connellan said.

Mack has no criminal history and it appears the motive was robbery, Connellan said.

Police also are unsure what the cause of death is and are waiting for the medical examiner to conduct an autopsy, Connellan said.

"We can't definitively say its a shooting or what kind of an attack it is," he said.